


Space Cadet

by brasswired



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Other, Outer Space, Space AU, Space Shenanigans, alien!gandra, astronaut!fenton, kind of oneshots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-05-07 18:46:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19215358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brasswired/pseuds/brasswired
Summary: Fenton is chosen (forced) to explore space in placement of an injured (and qualified) astronaut. What could go wrong?





	Space Cadet

Another day of work for Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera means another day of being told not to touch anything and wait around for someone to need him, which wasn’t as often as you would expect. He walked through the front door of his workplace and headed straight for the coffee machine; he had a late night so he was exhausted.

He poured himself a cup and blew on it to cool it off. Manny walked out of the elevator behind him and walked past Fenton, waving on his way to venture down the stairs one floor. Gyro then walked through the front doors clenching onto a messy stack of papers and muttering to himself. He didn’t even look at the intern.

Taking another drink of his coffee, Fenton began walking towards the staircase leading downwards after seeing his boss enter the elevator.

~

“No, no no, this isn’t right. What do you mean sick?!” Gyro exclaimed. Fenton reached the bottom of the staircase and noticed his boss on the phone.

Scrooge and Manny were down here with him too. “I told you to stay away from your family for the weekend! That’s basic astronaut knowledge!”

Oh yeah, it was that day.

Gyro Gearloose claimed he detected life in our galaxy and wanted to find a way to get into contact. He’d figured it would be easiest to go out there and meet them so he - with the help of the Duckburg Space Station - conducted an expedition and hired an experienced astronaut to go up there and hopefully befriend whatever - or whoever’s - out there.

Apparently the astronaut was sick.

“Maybe this isn’t a very good idea,” Scrooge stated. “Maybe this is a sign. We shouldn’t do this. Call it off, Gyro.”

“It’s too late, sir. The ship is ready. If we don’t get an astronaut soon, do you realize how much money you’ve lost?”

“Well, that adds to my list of problems, yes, but just call it off! What’s the point, anyway?”

“The point is for science!”

Fenton, attempting to keep himself out of the conflict, decided to admire the cased suit on the wall. He glided his fingertips against the glass and-- he knocked over a stack of folded boxes directly under the case.

Gyro and Scrooge looked towards him.

“Inter- I mean, Fenton!” Gyro exclaimed. “Are you experienced at all in astronaut training?”

“Uhh-” Fenton froze.

“Absolutely NOT, Gyro!” Scrooge shouted.

“Why not?! What could go wrong, sir?”

“EVERYTHING! Do you not remember the Spear of Selene?” Scrooge’s angry expression dropped into a guilty one at the mention of that journey.

Fenton didn’t know much about that whole issue, but had a vague understanding of what it had done to Scrooge, both mentally and financially.

“This is different, Scrooge,” Gyro also lowered his voice. “She was unprepared, untrained. This will be different! This has a bigger purpose. This could change how our world-- how our Universe functions!”

“I don’t care. It’s not happening.”

“Sir, please--”

“I do actually have a bit of training, Sir,” Fenton softly interjected.

Gyro stopped.

“I actually volunteered at the space station a couple years back. I got to train with the real astronauts and remember a lot of the things I was taught.”

Gyro contemplated. “I mean, I-I was…” He stammered. “Maybe…”

“Fenton, don’t you have some work to do?” Scrooge asked.

“Not really, Mr. McDuck.”

Gyro walked to a small desk against the wall, grabbed some papers and shuffled through them thoughtfully. The room was quiet for what felt to be several minutes, but it couldn’t have been longer than two minutes.

“This could work,” Gyro muttered.

“Gyro, do this and you’re fired.”

“You wouldn’t fire me, with all due respect, sir.”

“Okay, then I’ll- I’ll-” Scrooge stuttered. At a loss for words, he sighed and looked towards Fenton.

“Sir, I’ll be fine! In fact, I’ve always wanted to do something like this. If it’s for science, I’ll be even more determined to make it a success.” Fenton reassured him.

“If that’s settled and everyone’s happy,” Gyro started.

“I’m not, but okay,” Scrooge frowned. 

“Then Fenton, it’s time to prepare yourself, because you’re going-”

Gyro put his hands on Fenton’s shoulders and spun him towards the space suit and he extended his arm to the sky in enthusiasm.

“-to Space!”

~

Fenton ran home and grabbed some loose clothes and a few belongings to take with him, attempting to quickly explain the assignment to his mother. When he returned to his job, Manny handed him the suit and the other workers wished him luck.

He shook the suit onto his arms and his legs and zipped it up. Surprisingly, it fit well, just a little bigger. An hour passed by until Gyro called Fenton back in.

Fenton packed his small bag into the ship and jumped in. He was a little tired but was sure the speed would wake him up.

Before the hatch closed, Scrooge came up to Fenton and frowned.

“Gyro had better be right about this. Good luck, Fenton.”

Fenton smiled. It at least felt nice to be cared about by his boss.

Then the hatch closed. Fenton yawned, and looked through the window in front of him. Scrooge and Gyro were speaking but Fenton couldn’t make out what they were saying. He thought the glass wasn’t soundproof? Turns out, he was dozing off so he picked his head up and focused his eyes on the control panel in front of his arms. Now he could hear the two again, but now Gyro was behind and window and Scrooge quickly followed him. He seemed lost in thought.

“You ready to explore the universe, Fenton?” Gyro spoke into a microphone that Fenton could hear through a video feed on the dashboard.

“I believe so.”

Scrooge muttered, “If he dies you’re being fired and I’m suing.”

Fenton heard that. “Wait, die?”

“...Godspeed, Fenton,” Gyro flipped a switch, pressed some buttons and the ship revved.

“Godspeed?! Die?!” Fenton finally woke up completely.

What the heck was about to happen?

He had no time to process what he’d agreed with before the roof opened up down the middle and the spaceship began counting down.

“Wait, I changed my mind! I’m done!” Fenton tried to yell. Gyro only pointed to the mic in his hand, so Fenton looked frantically on the dashboard and found a transmitter for him to speak into.

“I’ve changed my mind! I-” And then the ship took off quickly. Fenton screamed from the shock and almost blacked out before remembering he had to make sure everything was working properly.

It was. He supposed he was going to space, now.


End file.
